>>180061Use the ax stone in a circular motion, working into the edge, toward the middle of the ax head (Figure 71).
Work one side of the ax with the coarse stone until it creates a metal burr, then flip the ax over and use the
coarse stone until it pushes the burr back.
Switch to the fine side of the ax stone and repeat the process until there's a very fine burr and both sides
of the ax edge have been honed. Honing the edge removes very small particles of metal from the blade
and causes the remaining ax metal to burr slightly. This is sometimes known as a wire edge or a feather
edge.
At this point you may want to move to one of the Arkansas stones like the Hard Arkansas finishing stone
and work the burr back and forth until it breaks off or becomes very fine. I recommend stropping the edge
by drawing the ax toward the edge (opposite the direction used during sharpening) on a piece of finished
leather or a piece of soft, clear wood like pine. This stropping will remove the final burr or wire edge.
Figure 71—Use the ax stone in a circular motion, working into the edge, toward the middle of the ax head
(drawings by Frederic H. Kock).
